Still no comment from Brown on Megrahi decision

Just back from Gordon Brown’s brief joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at No. 10. As expected, Gordon Brown didn’t budge when asked about the Lockerbie bomber’s release.

Asked if it was the right or the wrong thing to do he stuck to his line that this was a decision for the Scottish Government and though he didn’t say “no comment” that was the gist.

Mr Brown said he was “angry and repulsed” by the reception given to Mr al-Megrahi when he returned to Tripoli.

He said he made it “absolutely clear” to Col Gadaffi when they met in the summer that he didn’t want that to happen. He repeated his commitment to “the fight against terrorism around the world” and said he didn’t believe the Lockerbie decision would undermine relations with countries like the US and Israel.

Mr Netanyahu acknowledged that Mr Brown was a great friend of Israel and that he knew “from his own personal history” of the strong ties between Israel and Britain – a reference to Gordon Brown’s father’s support for the state of Israel.

Mr Brown will now return to Scotland before taking up residence again in Downing Street at the end of the week. There was no opportunity at this appearance for persistent questioning on the Lockerbie “no comment” position so Gordon Brown’s first full appearance of the new political season was nothing like as uncomfortable as it might have been.

Downing Street will be hoping that by the time of his next full press conference, interviews at Labour Party conference and – way off on 14 October – the next Prime Minister’s Questions, the media caravan may have moved off this issue.

That may depend on just how high profile Mr al-Megrahi is in Libya in the coming weeks, at the 40th anniversary celebrations to mark Col Gadaffi’s coup and elsewhere.